Three football players who helped their teams win big region contests Friday were nominated for The Tifton Gazette Athlete of the Week.

The three nominees are Tift County’s Sean Baxley, Fitzgerald’s Nick Williams and Turner County’s Kevian Prather. Readers can vote for the athlete of the week on The Tifton Gazette Web site, www.tiftongazette.com. Winners will be announced in Friday’s edition of the paper.

Baxley passed for 162 yards while completing 16-of-18 passes in the Tift County Blue Devils’ 13-3 win over Lowndes at home. Baxley’s biggest pass was a 40-yard scoring strike to Israel Troupe. The win gave the Devils sole possession of first place in Region 1-AAAAA with one regular-season game remaining.

Williams blistered the Cook High Hornets in a 35-21 victory that clinched the Region 1-AA title for the Fitzgerald Purple Hurricane. Williams rushed for 250 yards on 29 carries and scored four touchdowns in the contest.

Prather did a similar job for the Turner County Rebels in their victory over the Irwin County Indians. Prather rushed for 172 yards on 22 carries including a 58-yard touchdown dash. With the win, the Rebels claimed the Region 2-A:A title.